The Mayors’ Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets is a call to action by U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Foxx for mayors and local elected officials of any political jurisdiction whether town, city, county, tribal lands, territory, or State to take significant action to improve safety for bicycle riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities over the next year.

The challenge is based on the 2010 USDOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation to incorporate safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects. USDOT recognizes the many benefits walking and bicycling provide — including health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life.

As of April 27, 2015, more than 200 municipalities from across the nation have accepted the Challenge. Because of your commitment to safety, Florida has the greatest representation of any state engaged in the challenge! THANK YOU for your commitment to safety!

Alert Today Florida supports the Florida Department of Transportation’s mission of providing a safe transportation system that ensures the mobility of people and preserves the quality of our environment and communities.

This challenge serves as a catalyst to strengthen pedestrian and bicycle safety at the local level.

On May 22, 2015 America Walks held the webinar, “Mayors’ Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets.” This webinar is part of the “Take Action at the Local Level” webinar series that calls upon individuals to build community and institutional support for walkable design. Barbara McCann, former Executive Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition, and now Director of Safety, Energy, and Environment in Secretary Foxx’s office provided an overview of the DOT’s Action Plan and the Mayor’s Challenge. After summarizing the recent rise both in walking and bicycling for transportation, and in pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities, McCann described the seven strategies (see below) being implemented by more than 200 participating mayors. After the introduction, mayors from four very different types of cities in the upper mid-west, the south, and the mountain west described teir efforts. Mayor Zachary Vruwink of Wisconsin Rapids, WI, discussed how pedestrian safety and access are supporting his community’s recovery from decades of economic decline. Memphis, TN, Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager Kyle Wagenschutz described how Memphis is using the Mayors’ Challenge as a springboard to promote health and physical activity in a sprawling southern metropolis of two-thirds of a million. Although Memphis’ near neighbor, the City of Hernando, MS, has a population of just 15,000, Mayor Chip Johnson has made a name for himself by promoting walkable, bikeable communities and is the newest member of the America Walks Board of Directors. Finally, National League of Cities President and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker explained why alternative transportation is a priority for his administration and his mountain city.

Below you will find resources and information that will assist with the implementation of safer streets in your community: